René Caty, fonctionnaire colonial (1930-1947)
Subtitle: la fin de l'Indochine française
By: Gilbert Caty
Series: Mémoires asiatiques; Collection Mémoires asiatiques
Publisher: L'Harmattan; L'HARMATTAN; Editions L'Harmattan
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Paris
Language: fre
Number of pages: 283
ISBN-13: 9782296998148
Subjects: Diaries; French; Agriculturists; Colonies; Politics and government; History
Description: René Caty was 26 years old when he and his wife Margaret, landed in Indochina. A tropical agronomy engineer, he was called upon to lead a laboratory in plant genetics. Until his departure from Indochina, 17 years later, René kept a journal recounting his day to day experiences. It reflects the life of a public servant, the changes that occurred during that time and colonial practices. His journal describes a world of strange figures: tribes of the  high plateaus, European adventurers, corrupt officials, hotheads, and businessmen. René also describes the uncertainty and violent rise of war, Japanese invasion, the emergence of the Viet Minh, along with bombings and indiscriminate killings. It is during this time that René faces the Japanese in Saigon and aids in the rescue of thousands of refugees.